A new IHG Hotels & Resorts survey finding that 67% of Americans say they are often or always the person responsible for organizing plans and caring for others is the insight driving IHG's latest global campaign, 'When the Host Needs Hosting.' The brand has enlisted Amelia Dimoldenberg — creator and host of the viral series 'Chicken Shop Date' — as its first campaign partner, turning the premise on its head: the person who professionally hosts others becomes the guest.
The campaign, conducted in collaboration with research firm Talker, also found that the same two-thirds of respondents agree that being in charge while traveling can make a vacation feel like work. For hospitality operators, the data reinforces a persistent challenge in guest experience strategy: high-achieving, perpetually 'on' guests are a growing segment that want genuine relief from decision-making, not more choices to manage.
The Loyalty Angle
Beyond the social content, IHG is converting the campaign into a direct loyalty play. A limited-edition 'Hosted Like a Host' hotel package — inspired by Dimoldenberg's own travel preferences — is available exclusively to IHG One Rewards members, who can bid using their points from September 25 through October 9. The points-bid mechanism, run through the IHG One Rewards Access platform, is designed to deepen engagement with the loyalty program's 160 million-plus members rather than simply discount a room rate. Participating U.S. properties include InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, Kimpton Surfcomber Miami South Beach, and Hotel Indigo Lower East Side New York.
"At IHG, we believe travel is at its best when guests can leave the details behind and simply enjoy being looked after," said Connor Smith, Senior Vice President, Global Brands, Luxury, Lifestyle, Masterbrand & Global Creative Director. He framed the partnership as an expression of the anticipatory service ethos IHG's hotel teams practice daily.
What Comes Next
Dimoldenberg is positioned as the first in a series of high-profile hosts to participate in the campaign, with additional talent and content planned across Australia, Mexico, Europe, and other international markets. That phased rollout signals a sustained brand investment rather than a one-off influencer moment — a strategic pattern increasingly common in hospitality marketing as major hotel groups compete to own culturally resonant narratives around rest, self-care, and experiential travel.
For hoteliers tracking how large chains are activating loyalty programs and social-first content together, IHG's approach offers a clear model: anchor a consumer insight in third-party research, recruit a credible cultural figure whose personal brand aligns with the service narrative, then route engagement back through the loyalty ecosystem with a time-limited, points-denominated experience. Operators across all segments can draw a parallel lesson — identifying the guests who spend the most time serving others and crafting offers that explicitly give them permission to hand over control.
Food & Beverage Magazine has similarly tracked how experiential hospitality packages tied to loyalty currencies are outperforming standard promotional discounts in post-pandemic travel recovery.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
